Observations on music, culture and life

October 20, 2014

Led Zeppelin Remasters 2014 – Instrumentals

If you purchase the Led Zeppelin Deluxe Remasters issued this year – a project lovingly overseen by Jimmy Page – you have a unique opportunity to collate an all instrumental album by Led Zep. By the way, no disrespect is meant toward Robert Plant, who continues to astound with his Sensational Shape Shifters.

The resulting album is 47:36 of pure instrumental bliss. Think about this; even without Robert Plant’s incendiary vocals and (in some instances) Jimmy Page’s guitar pyrotechnics, this album still rocks hard.

Page somehow manages to help your mind fill in the vocals. Furthermore, John Paul Jones sounds like he could have been comfortable in either Muscle Shoals or Motown. And, Bonham overcomes all of the critical opprobrium of the 1970’s.

Now, think of the musical diversity inherent in this collection: British folk ballads, Classical music, Indian classical music, Riff-based American Blues, American folk music, Middle-Eastern music, Jazz and Psychedelic music – impressive for over forty years ago, isn’t it?